Gas turbine engines typically include a compressor section, a combustor section, and a turbine section. During operation, air is pressurized in the compressor section and is mixed with fuel and burned in the combustor section to generate hot combustion gases. The hot combustion gases are communicated through the turbine section, which extracts energy from the hot combustion gases to power the compressor section and other gas turbine engine loads.
Both the compressor and turbine sections may include alternating arrays of rotating blades and stationary vanes that extend into the core airflow path of the gas turbine engine. For example, in the turbine section, turbine blades rotate and extract energy from the hot combustion gases that are communicated along the core airflow path. The turbine vanes guide the airflow and prepare it for the downstream set of blades.
Turbine vanes are known to include internal passageways configured to direct a flow of cooling fluid within the interior of the vane. The flow of cooling fluid protects the vane from the relatively hot fluid in the core airflow path. One known type of internal passageway is a serpentine passageway, which typically includes a plurality of radially extending passageways connected by turning portions. Serpentine passageways are formed within an interior of an airfoil section of the vane, and are often formed integrally with the remainder of the vane using an investment casting process, for example.